


May I Have This Dance?

by bellarkegriffin_blake



Category: The 100 (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Learning to Dance, Love Confessions, Minor Angst, Secret Crush
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-19
Updated: 2019-04-21
Packaged: 2020-01-16 05:43:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,001
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18515089
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bellarkegriffin_blake/pseuds/bellarkegriffin_blake
Summary: All of the Eligius crew are required to go to this dance that is thrown in their honor. Only problem? Bellamy can't dance and needs help. Who else to ask but his totally platonic best friend?





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I enjoyed writing this, but it's my first so I'm very nervous. Feedback would be amazing, good or bad! I want to keep writing so any suggestions to make it better is appreciated. Hope you like it!
> 
> P.S. - I submitted this on my blog before, I just made a few minor changes and published.

Bellamy sits in a recliner in his small apartment, thinking about everything that has happened since they arrived. It’s only been a month since the Eligius IV, which housed the scarce remnants of the human race from Earth, landed on this new planet, and the natives are already integrating them into society. They all have housing, plenty of food, clothes, and the same basic rights as everyone else. The only thing they asked for in return was peace. Bellamy had been weary at first, knowing that with the company they brought to their new home peace wasn’t their first priority, but it has gone surprisingly well so far. Even Octavia has calmed down enough to lay low and not cause trouble. Bellamy has done everything they have asked of him, tell their stories, help house everyone, most of all keep the peace, but this last request was the hardest of them all. Apparently, a Welcome Ball is being thrown to celebrate the Eligius IV crew arriving on their planet, and everyone’s presence is required.

At first, Bellamy is cautious of the odd requirement. Why does everyone need to be there? He runs a couple of worst-case-scenarios through his head before shaking it. He decides to focus on the fact that, for once, they are welcome somewhere instead of despised and killed. He will worry about it if he sees something suspicious at the dance. Now the only problem he has with this ball surpasses any of the previous scenarios he just ran through his mind: He can’t dance.

There has never been a need for Bellamy to learn to dance. Now he is going to get all dressed up, pick up Echo, and go to this stupid dance just to make a fool of himself. He wonders if he could ask Raven to teach him. Maybe Finn and her had danced together back on the Ark, but he doesn't want to bring up her leg. He doubts Emori really knows how to dance. It doesn’t seem like her style. He doesn’t want any special moves, just the basics. Like how to hold Echo without feeling awkward. Of course he held her before, but it just seems so different when it’s going to be in front of so many people. Only one more person comes to his mind. Clarke. Even thinking of her in a ball gown with her bright blue eyes makes his cheeks grow hot. He can’t ask her. But who else? 

He doesn’t have to look too hard because she is in the first place he looks, which is the library. He walks in and immediately spots her across the room. She is reading an old medical journal and even from this distance he can see her eyes light up as she soaks in new information. He is about to retreat from the library to let her be when she looks up and sees him. She smiles, oh God that smile, and rushed over to him.

“I can’t believe this place, Bellamy! It has so much information in one place. I mean, I know we had books and stuff on the Ark, but nothing like this!” All of that comes out of her mouth in one breath before she continues, “And it’s so huge I can basically hear my voice echo if I talk loud enough.”

Echo. That reminds him of why he is here in the first place. “Look, Clarke, I need to ask you a huge favor,” Bellamy whispers partly from embarrassment and partly from the librarian giving him a dirty look.

“Sure, what’s up?”

“So you know about the ball coming up, right?”

“Of course, how could I forget?” He can tell she doesn’t want to go just as much as him.

Bellamy takes his eyes off her beautiful face and starts, “Well…it’s just…I don’t know…” when he looks back he quickly admits, “I can’t dance.” He expects her to laugh, just a little bit, but nothing comes out of her mouth. All he gets is a small expression of confusion.

“I’m sure Echo can teach you. And you are probably better that you think. There really isn’t anything you are bad at.” As she finishes her sentence she darts her eyes away and Bellamy notices the intense blush rising from her neck.

Clarke starts to walk away, but Bellamy snags her wrist. “Please, can you teach me?”

He takes note of her slight hesitation, thinking she is going to say no, but is relieved when she says, “Meet me at my apartment in an hour.” Their eyes stay locked for a few more moments before Bellamy drops her wrist and she returns to her table. When he leaves the library, on a nearby mirror, he sees a smile plastered on his face.

Exactly an hour later Bellamy arrives at Clarke’s door. He is about to knock when it opens and Raven appears. Great. Raven has to see this? Luckily after she lets him in, she shuts the door behind herself as she leaves. Clarke’s place is pretty much the same as his, but it looks a little bigger now with all the furniture pushed to the walls.

“Is this enough room?” Clarke asks, standing in the center of the living room.

“I hope so. I don’t need to learn the tango, just how to get around with Echo.”

“Right. The first thing you have to do is walk up to her and say, 'May I have this dance, you beautiful woman?'"

"I am not saying that," Bellamy says, horrified at the look of Clarke's very serious face.

Then she starts laughing. "Of course not. To really start, come over here in the center, next to me.” Bellamy does what she says and walks right up to her. She turns towards her radio against the wall and plays some slow music. He is keenly aware of how close they are. Only a couple feet between them. “Like this?”

“Yes, but not for long.” She seems to need to collect her thoughts before she continues. “Now, put your hands on my waist.” Bellamy does what he is told, but apparently holds her a little too high. “Just a little lower.” She slides his hands down to settle perfectly on the curves of her hips. He is holding his breath, afraid that breathing will blow away the moment they are having.

“So what do you do with your hands?” Bellamy has an idea, but he asks just to put more words into the air.

“When you do this, Echo will put her hands on your shoulders, like this.” She gently lays her hands in the middle of each of Bellamy’s shoulders and a small shudder goes through him. Hopefully she didn’t feel that. Now they start swaying back and forth to the music while slowly rotating in a circle. “This probably feels a little awkward, right? Standing a foot and a half away and swaying?”

“A little bit, I guess,” Bellamy admits.

“As the song goes on, you will get closer to each other.” She shows this by taking a big step towards him. Only six inches away. “Is this better? More comfortable?”

He wants to tell her how comfortable he is with her. He wants to keep holding her this way, but he can’t. He is with Echo and will not hurt her. Not on purpose, anyways. “It does seem more comfortable,” he whispers.

“Now, knowing how much you care for each other, this space between you guys will become even smaller.” Her voice is getting softer now too, as if she doesn’t want to startle him when she is so close. “She will move her hands and entwine her fingers behind your neck like this,” she says as her movements reflect her words. He can feel her fingers resting on the nape of his neck. “Reflexively, your arms will wrap around her back.” Of course, she is right. There is no space between their bodies and their heads are cheek to cheek.

“This is a lot easier than I thought it would be,” Bellamy tells Clarke, straight into her ear. His voice has gotten gravelly, filling up with desire that he knows isn’t for his girlfriend.

“I told you that you would be a natural.” He can feel her smile against the side of his face. He leans into her cheek, trying to distract himself from his current thoughts. Like the way her hands are creeping up into his hair. Or the way she smells, as if she just got out of the shower. He doesn’t even realize his own hands grasping her shirt like he will never let go.

They continue to sway and turn to the music, no one saying anything anymore. He has gotten so comfortable holding Clarke that he almost forgets that he will be holding Echo instead. When he pulls away, regrettably, he immediately feels the absence of her touch. All he wants in this moment is to hold her again, but he knows he can’t.

“Thank you for teaching me.” Bellamy backs up to a reasonable amount of personal space between them. “I will see you at the dance?”

“Maybe. I mean, I will be there since I have to be, but will probably stick to the shadows.” He knows Clarke isn’t looking for pity. She just really doesn’t care for things like this.

Against his better judgement he says, “How about I save a dance for you. You should have at least a little fun.”

“I might take you up on that,” she replies. Something on her face seems to say the opposite, though. He doesn’t blame her and is kind of thankful. He doesn’t need everyone to see how he would rather be holding Clarke. Especially Echo.

“Well, I better get going. It was nice to…hang out.”

Clarke walks him to the door and opens it. “Yeah. I will see you later, I guess.” They stand there for a minute, each one’s eyes roaming the other’s face. Eventually, Bellamy wakes from his trance and walks out the door. When she softly shuts it behind him, he breaks into the grin he had been holding in the entire time and walks back to his apartment.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The dance has arrived. Bellamy has Echo by his side to show off his new moves, but can't keep Clarke out of his mind no matter how hard he tries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Since I have seen the trailer for season six, I used the blue dress Clarke is in as the dress for this dance because it is absolutely stunning! And be ready for a moment of jealous Bellamy. As with the last part, feedback is appreciated. Hope you enjoy!

Well, the time has come. Time for Bellamy to put on that nice suit that was delivered to his door, pick up Echo, and go to this stupid dance. He studies the hanging outfit from his bed, ten feet away. This is going to suck. He puts it on and steps in front of the mirror. The white shirt hugs his abdomen, but it’s not suffocating. And the sleek black jacket with the same color tie and pants seems to pull it all together. It feels incredibly unnatural, but he’s got to admit; he looks pretty sharp. With some final touches to attempt and tame his unruly hair, and with no success, he heads out the door. 

He arrives at Echo’s door. When he goes to knock, he stops. What if he does something wrong? “Stop,” he whispers to himself. Chances are, she won’t want to be there as much as him. What could possibly go wrong? He knocks once, twice, three times. A moment later, the door opens, but his head is down, so the first thing he sees are her feet. They are good feet, though, and in pretty heels. He slowly raises his gaze, taking in everything in. She is wearing a floor length, red dress that accentuates her every curve. He can’t wait to see her gorgeous blonde hair and striking blue eyes. 

But wait- Echo has brown hair and eyes. This is going to be a long night. 

Bellamy reaches Echo’s face and smiles. “You look amazing,” and he truly means it. If only he could get Clarke out of his head. “Ready to go?” 

“Let’s get this over with,” she sighs. At least he was right; she has no desire to be there either. 

They walk towards the dance hall, and they can hear the music half a block away. Bellamy stops, bringing Echo to a halt with him. “Something wrong?” she asks. 

“It just seems so, I don’t know, weird. Have you ever been to a formal dance? I haven’t, but I’m sure all those people have. What if we do something to offend them?” He is rambling, and he is slightly aware of it. “We don’t know them very well, what if--” 

“Calm down. They know our past because you told them all of it, so if they were worried about us doing something wrong, then they wouldn’t have thrown the thing for us.” She gives him a light kiss on the lips. “Let’s go inside and scope it out.” 

“Thanks. I needed that.” And they head inside. 

It’s insane. There are decorations everywhere, music blaring, and barely any room to walk around. People are constantly coming up to them, even though they have barely been there for ten minutes and asking about Earth and how it got destroyed. They have heard the story probably dozens of times, though. He goes along with it but is gets tired of it very soon. He looks around the room. He spots Raven and Shaw over in the corner, talking to themselves. He doesn’t think they will be staying very long. Talking to some other people from this planet are Emori and Murphy. They are probably going on and on about how they survived on Earth, even when the odds were against their favor. But the one person he is looking for isn’t here. She will come. Eventually. 

Bellamy notices as the song changes. He doesn’t know it, but by the sound of it, it’s the type that a couple slow dances to. The way Clarke taught him. Bellamy turns to Echo, who is just finishing another story, and asks, “Wanna dance?” 

“Um... sure?” He can’t help but laugh at Echo’s genuine surprise. 

“If we are going to be forced to be here, we may as well try to have fun.” 

“Alright, then. Lead the way.” 

Bellamy takes her hand and sweeps her to the dance floor. He follows exactly what Clarke said. Hands on her hips, stand about six inches away, and sway to the beat. He knows they will get closer, just as he and Clarke did in her living room, so he doesn’t worry about the distance. 

Clarke. 

Where is she? 

Then, while Bellamy was turning towards the entrance of the hall, he sees her. It was as if she materialized into the hall directly from his thoughts. But he could have never materialized Clarke as beautiful as she is right now. She is wearing a deep blue dress that has a low neckline. Not much for decorative pieces, but she doesn’t need anything else. The blue of the dress complements the beauty of her blue eyes. She is absolutely perfect. For a moment, they make eye contact, but she breaks it after a few seconds, shyly deciding that the wall is more interesting than him. It hurts a little, but it makes sense. 

The slow song ends and runs into a fast, fist pumping song that neither Bellamy nor Echo care to be a part of. When they reach the table they claimed earlier, Echo shouts to him, “That was way better than I expected. Where did you learn to dance like that?” 

He can’t tell her the complete truth, so he just says, “An old friend taught me.” It isn’t a lie. She looks suspicious but smiles and doesn’t say anything more. A couple of more slow songs play, and Bellamy and Echo dance to each one, but every time, he can’t keep his eyes off the girl that isn’t his girlfriend. She is doing exactly what she said she would; sticking to the shadows. He is going to fix that. 

“Echo, do you mind if I dance with Clarke on the next song?” The look he gives her isn’t exactly a pleasant one, so he explains further saying, “She has been here for an hour and hasn’t come off the wall yet.” 

“Fine. But I won’t like it.” She kisses him and turns to let him go. 

He was just about to leave their table when he stops in his tracks. He is looking at Clarke, but for once, she isn’t looking back. She is having a conversation with a handsome guy from this planet. A new song plays, and it should have been the song they dance to, but he sees the guy take her hand and lead her to the dance floor. He can’t help but feel the weight of a little green monster on his shoulder, but he really doesn’t have a right to be jealous. He is with Echo and she is free to be with whomever she wants. 

“Well, it looks like she got off the wall anyways. Want to go again?” he asks Echo. 

“We have been dancing all night and don’t get me wrong, it’s lovely, but this time I want to just sit. Besides, these shoes are killing me. How do women walk in these every day?” 

Bellamy barely hears a word she says. He is solely focused on Clarke and her mystery man. He watches the way he leads her around the room. He has clearly danced before, and she definitely knows more than she taught him as well. When the song is over, the man goes over to a group Bellamy assumes are his friends and watches as Clarke slinks right back to the shadows. The next dance will be theirs. He wants to dance, and Echo wants a break. It will be fine. 

Finally, after an hour of no slow songs, he gets his chance. The song starts and Bellamy walks over to Clarke. In an attempt to make her laugh the first thing out of his mouth is, “May I have this dance, you beautiful woman?” It feels a little weird, but nothing that they can’t get around. It’s Clarke, after all. 

She doesn’t say anything at first, which makes him think he went too far, considering his girlfriend was twenty feet away. But then she laughs. A beautiful sound that rivals the song being played. “I guess we could do that. As long as you won’t get in trouble?” 

“It will be fine. I already talked to her.” With that, he takes her hand and walks her to the floor. 

“Remember what I taught you?” she asks Bellamy. 

His hands are already on the spot she put them in the last time they were in this situation. “I have been using the wisdom you bestowed upon me all night. And it’s been great.” He feels her hands rest in the appropriate spot on his shoulders. He knows they will step closer, close enough to share breaths. This is dangerous. Maybe a mistake. He can’t stop, though. 

The song continues and they turn and sway. He closes his eyes, trying to gather his thoughts. He is thinking about Clarke. About her hands that are now on the nape of his neck. He is thinking about his own arms and how they are fully wrapped around her body. He is aware of how they stepped so close that not evven a sheet of paper could fit between their bodies. This is definitely not how this should go. This is how he should have held Echo, but he didn’t. He decides to make some conversation to distract him from these thoughts. 

“How have you been adjusting to the planet?” he softly asks her, directly into her ear since their cheeks are pressed together. Just like last time. 

“It’s been okay. Madi has been exploring like the child she should have a right to be.” 

“That’s great. But how about you?” 

“I’m trying to get used to the cold shoulders and people ignoring me. But it’s fine. I don’t want to talk about it.” She is starting to fidget, like she wants to escape, but he tries to hold her still. 

Bellamy feels a pang of sadness for her and is going to say something to make her feel better, but the song ends, and they stand there, arms around each other, heads bent together, when she pulls away. Bellamy is momentarily confused, but it clears right up when she follows Clarke’s gaze to where Echo is sitting. 

“I should go. Thanks for the dance.” She then rushes out the door. Her absence from his arms feels like a part of him got ripped out of his own body. It takes all his will to not go after her. The only thing stopping him is the explaining he is going to have to do in the next few minutes. 

Bellamy doesn’t think he has ever seen Echo cry, but this is about as close as it has ever come. When he gets to her, he asks, “So, do you want to get out of here?” 

“Yes, Bellamy, but not with you.” 

He knows she is hurt, but he has to make her understand that he never meant to hurt her. “I hope you understand that in all the time we have been together, I have never lied or faked being in love with you. I have always loved you.” 

“I believe you. I really do,” she tells him. At that, he sees a single tear run down her perfect cheek. “Clarke is just the one. I understand. You can’t control who you truly love.” 

“Are you okay?” 

“I’m sad, but I would be miserable feeling like your second choice through the entire relationship.” Bellamy isn’t looking directly at her, so she gently takes his chin and guides his gaze back to her. “Go. Get her and make her understand how you feel about her because I guarantee she loves you back the exact same way.” 

Bellamy smiles and gives Echo one last goodbye kiss. “Thank you for being so understanding. I never meant to hurt you.” 

“Go.” 

And with that, he went.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How was it? Please comment because I read every one. Part three will be coming soon, and will include the aftermath of their steamy dance. I never expected it to stretch this far, but I think it's turning out great.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bellamy finally gets to tell Clarke how he feels, but isn't prepared for her reaction.

Bellamy smashes through the dance hall doors to go after Clarke, but he tries not to run after her like a maniac. He doesn’t see her outside, so she must have been in quite a hurry to get home. At least he assumes she went home, and he already knows how to get there. He walks, more like speed walks, the streets towards her apartment, trying to think of what to say when he gets there. At one point, he was so concentrated on his destination that he ran straight into a huddle of people on the sidewalk. They weren’t very happy with him, but he kept going. 

He finally arrives at Clarke’s door, and Bellamy knows exactly what he wants to say. He knocks two loud knocks but doesn’t receive an open door. He knows he could hear movement on the inside, so he tries again. Two knocks. Nothing. What if she knows it’s him and is ignoring him on purpose? If that’s true, then Bellamy knows he should leave her alone, but he physically can’t leave without telling her how he feels. 

He tries knocking one more time, but when he still doesn’t get a response, he leans his forehead against her door and gruffly whispers, “Come on Clarke. I need to talk to you.” 

She must have been standing right on the other side of the door to be able to hear that, but it doesn’t matter because she slowly swings the door open. He wants to step inside and let the words fall out of his mouth, but he restrains himself. He stops because of what he sees on her face. Puffy red eyes surrounded by smudged mascara stare back at him and his heart drops to his stomach. Everything he planned on telling her leaves his brain and is replaced by the sorrow he feels by making her feel this way. 

He is snapped out of his reverie when he hears her mumble, “What do you want?” 

“Can I come in?” 

There is a long pause, and for a moment, Bellamy doesn’t think she will invite him in. Eventually, she quietly sighs and steps aside to let him through. Her place looks different than last time, probably because all the furniture in the living room is back to where it should be. He walks over to the edge of the wall that separates the living room from the hallway and leans back on it. 

“Wanna dance?” is all Bellamy can think of now, staring at Clarke in her baggy sweatpants and one-size-too-big t-shirt. 

“That’s what you came here for? Another dance?” 

“Please, I just need to-” 

Bellamy is cut off by her saying, “I don't believe Echo is actually okay with you being here, so you should probably just go.” She turns to open the door again. 

“Clarke, wait. Please just dance with me one more time. Listen to what I have to say, and if you don’t want to see me again, I will stay gone. But please, one more dance.” 

Her shoulders sink with another sigh, and she turns around with fresh tears brimming her eyes. “I can’t, Bellamy!” She is almost yelling. “You are with Echo and I’m not going to do anything to break that up, because if I did that, I would never forgive myself.” She takes a breath and collects herself. “She loves you, and despite your past, you two are great together. I will not end it, no matter how I feel.” 

Calmly, he replies, “But what about how I feel?” 

“What do you mean?” 

“I loved Echo, deep down, I probably always will. We were together on the Ring and it was great. But I thought you were dead. I never thought I would see you again, and I thought I was over how I felt about you. But that is all wrong.” 

“Bellamy, what are you-” 

He cuts her off. “Just listen.” For a second, he closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and opens them again to look straight at her. “I love you, Clarke. I have loved you since we first landed on Earth. You are smart, brave, and you always put our people above yourself.” 

“Bell-” 

“But most of all, you were the one to convince me I wasn’t a monster. That I was worth saving.” 

Clarke’s tears finally spill over. “You aren’t the kind to go to another girl when you still have a girlfriend, so that means I already broke you two up. Exactly like I said I wouldn’t.” She can’t bear to look at him anymore, so she settles to looking at the floor. 

Bellamy walks over, puts a hand under her chin and lifts it so she looks back at his face. 

“You were not what broke us up. It was me. The moment I found out you were alive and well I should have talked to her. I should have ended it because it wasn’t fair to her. It’s always been you.” He removes his hand from under her chin and moves it to her cheek where he gently wipes away some tears. “So, how about that dance?” 

He can tell she is hesitant, so he takes her hand and guides her to the living room. There isn’t a lot of room, but they won’t need it. When they get there, he turns to Clarke’s little radio and sets some slow music. When he faces Clarke again, he notices she doesn’t move towards him, so he makes the first step. Bellamy places her hands on his shoulders and places his own in the same spot he has for their past two dances. 

To try and lighten the mood he quotes her from his lesson, “This is probably a little awkward, right? Standing a foot and a half away?” 

He succeeds by getting a ghost of a smile. “A little, I guess,” she replies, and steps closer. 

Bellamy hugs her close and feels her slide her hands to his neck. It’s one of the best feelings he has had all night. They sway to the music for only a few seconds when he feels Clarke tense and slightly pulls away.” 

“You have to promise me that I didn’t split you and Echo up. Promise me.” 

“Clarke Griffin, I promise, from the bottom of my heart, that what happened between me and Echo was entirely my fault. I promise that you are the one I love, and the one I will love for the rest of my life. And even if you are not ready right now, I promise I will be there when you are. I promise-” 

He doesn’t get to finish because his lips become occupied with something else. Clarke’s mouth tastes so good against his own and can also taste the salt of her tears. He pulls her towards his chest to a point that he can’t get her any closer. One hand is in her hair and the other one is around her waist. She also has her hands entwined in his own hair. They are kissing for a couple minutes when Bellamy feels her pull away. He is scared that he took things too far. 

“Are you okay? Did I do something wrong?” 

“I’m the one that kissed you, you idiot.” At least she is smiling. “I just need you to know that I also love you. I have loved you since I saw how you cared so much for your sister. And while I may not have realized my feelings for you until it was too late, I have always, deeply loved you.” 

Bellamy smiles so wide that it actually starts to hurt a little. “I have been waiting years for you say that.” 

They kiss again, briefly, but eventually go back to dancing. Back and forth they sway, holding each other tightly; letting each other know that they will never let go.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well, I hope you liked this fic! It was my first and, in my opinion, went way better than I ever thought it would. Thanks for reading and follow me on Tumblr (bellarkegriffin-blake) for new fics and updates!


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